Weed-cutter.



s. F. JENKINS.

WEED CUTTER.

nrmcnron nun nno. 2Q, 1910.

Patented July 11, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. v

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN 130., WASHINGTON. u. c.

' s. P. JENKINS. I

WEED CUTTER.

APPLICATION TILED 1330.20, 19 10.

Patented July 11, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL F. JENKINS, OF WASHTA, IOWA.

WEED-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 11, 1911.

Application filed. December 20, 1910.

Serial No. 598,352.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. JENKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVashta, in the county of Cherokee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Weed-Gutters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to weed cutters having particular reference to a device for cutting weeds and other growth from the mud-shoulder of a railroad track, and a device which can also be employed for leveling the surface of the road-bed of the track.

An object of this invention is to provide a machine of this character which is adapted to be carried by the rolling stock, and which is capable of various adjustments to dispose the cutters in variousangles and distances relative to the track.

- The' invention has for another object to provide the improved weed cutter with a single lever so arranged with respect to the traveling support and the frame of the cutter that the cutter is raised and held in such inoperative position when the device is passing over cattle guards or other obstructions along the sides of the track.

A further object of this invention is to provide a peculiar form of connection between the cutters or scrapers and the frame whereby the scrapers or cutters can be disposed in various planes and angles 'to accommodate the same to the surface over which it is passed for cutting weeds or throwing gravel toward or away from the track.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which V Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved weed cutter applied to a rolling support. F ig. 2 is a side eletgition of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the connection between the cutter and the standard supporting the same.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings the improved weed cutter is disclosed as being applied to a hand-car 10, although any other suitable traveling support may be employed.

The frame of the improved cutter includes a central or main beam 11 which is provided which are detachably secured through eyes- 13 carried upon the rearend of the traveling support 10. Lateral beams 14 are disposed in overlapping relation upon the ends of the main beam 11 and are each provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 15 which are vertically formed therethrough for the reception of detachable pins 16 engaging therethrough and into the main beam 11. Spaced straps 17 are carried in pairs upon the opposite ends of the main beam 11 and slidably and snugly receive the inner ends of the lateral beams 14. The lateral beams 14 are provided against their under faces with forwardly extending bars 18 having outturned arms 19 forming spine dles supporting traction wheels 20. Straps 21 are hinged to the spindles 19 by clips 22, or the like and extend backwardly across the under sides of the lateral beams 14 and are adjustably secured there against by clamping bolts 23.

As will be observed from Fig. 1 the straps 21 are provided with spaced openings 24 through which the clampingbolt 23 is adjustably secured. The inner ends of the bars 18 are attached to the outer ends of the lateral beams 14 by U-shaped clamping bolts 25 which admit of the longitudinal adjustment of the bars 21 therethrough. To this frame is attached a pair of standards 26, one being disposed at each end of the frame and being secured across the forward edges of the lateral beams 14 by cleats 27. The cleats 27 are in the form of U-bolts which encircle the upper ends of the standards 26 and bind the same adjustably across the beams 14. The standards 26 are thus permitted of a rotary as well as a longitudinal movement. The lower ends of the standards 26 terminate in balls 27' having diametrically formed slots 28 therethrough which are enlarged to extend vertically within the balls 27 and adjustably and loosely receive a clamping bolt 29 therethrough. A. semi-spherical socket 30 is snugly fitted about the ball 27 and is provided in its opposite sides'with openings 31 receiving the opposite ends of the clamping bolt 29. The socket 31 carries at its under side a cutter or scraper 32 which extends forwardly from the socket and is adapted to normally lie in a horizontal plane. Split collars 33 encircle the lower ends of the standards 26 and carry the rear ends of the connecting rods 37 extending forwardly and being detachably secured to the sides of the rolling support 10 by eyes 38.

From Fig. 2 it will be noted that the traction wheels 20 move over the mudshoulder of the track and that the scrapers extend from the sides of the track outwardly over the entire mud-shoulder behind the wheels 20. The rolling support 10 carries a hinged lever 39 having an inner forked end, the arms 40 thereof engaging beneath the main beam 11 and being adapted to lift the entire frameof the cutter when the outer end of the lever 39 is drawn down against the upper face of the support 10. A hook ll is carried by the roller support 10 and engages over the outer end of the lever 39 to hold the same down and carry the frame of the cutter in a raised position. From the construction of this device it will be observed that the traction wheels 20 can be moved forwardly from the lateral beams 14L and may be secured in practically any angle so as to regulate the height of the frame and to adapt the same to road-beds varying in form. The lever 39 is hinged at the rear end of the traveling support 10 while the fork arms 40 of the lever project downwardly beneath the main beam 11.

From Fig. 3 it will be noted that the cutter or scraper 32 is capable of adjustment into various diagonal planes and can be rotated into various angles with respect to the lateral beam 14 so that the blade 32 or scraper may be employed in throwing gravel against the rails of the track or may be disposed at an angle to cut the weeds and other growth upon the mud-shoulder. By adjusting the detachable pin 16 in the openings 15 the lateral beams 14; may be moved through the straps l7 and the frame for adjusting road-beds varying in width so as to accommodate the improved cutter to various conditions. The lever 39 is so positioned that when the same is drawn down the entire frame is raised considerably above the track so as to carry the cutter over cattle guards and other obstructions which are built along the track.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. A weed cutter including a traveling support, a frame hinged upon the rear end of the support, a lifting lever disposed upon the traveling support and having connection to the frame, scrapers carried adjust,

ably upon the ends of the frame, and ad justable supporting wheels carried upon the ends of the frame forwardly of the cutter.

2.- Aweed cutter including a traveling support, a frame hinged upon the rear end of the support, standards depending from the ends of the frame and adapted for vertical and rotary adjustment, said standards having bars formed upon their lower ends provided with vertical diametrically formed slots, semi-spherical sockets engaging over the bars, clamping nuts carried through the sockets and in the diametrically formed slots, and scrapers rabbeted upon the lower ends of the sockets.

3. A weed cutter including a hand-car, a frame hinged upon the rear end of the hand car, supporting wheels adj-ustably mounted upon the ends of the frame, depending standards car-riedupon the ends of the frame rearwardly of the supporting wheels, blades adjustably carried upon the lower ends of the standards, and a lifting lever carried upon the hand-car and having connection with the frame for raising the same at times.

4. A weed cutter including a traveling support, a frame hinged upon the rear end of the support, traction wheels adjustably carried upon the ends of the frame for holding the same upon the ground, depending standards adjustably disposed at the ends of the frame rearwardly of the wheels, cutters adjustably disposed upon the lower ends of the standards, and a lifting lever" hinged upon the traveling support and having connection to the frame for raising the same from the ground.

5. A weed cutter including a traveling support, a main beam hinged upon the rear end of the support, straps carried at the ends of the main beam, overlapping lateral beams slidably engaging through the straps, detachable locking pins engaging through the lateral beams and the main beam, depending standards disposed upon the outer ends of the lateral beams, scrapers disposed upon the lower ends of the standards, traction wheels carried upon the lateral beams and extending forwardly of the standards, and a lifting lever hinged upon the traveling support and having connection with the main beam.

6. A weed-cutter and road-bed scraper including a transverse frame for hinged connection to a rolling support, laterally eXten sible bars supported upon the ends of the frame, traction wheels carried uponthe outer ends of the bars to support the frame, and blades depending from the bars.

7. A weed-cutter including a main transverse beam, overlapping lateral beams carried upon the ends of the main beam and adapted to slide longitudinally from the ends thereof, standards depending from the outer ends of the lateral beams, cutters adjustably disposed upon the lower ends of the standards, and a lever having connection with the main beam adapted to raise the entire cutter.

8Q A weed-cutter including a movable support, a transverse beam hinged across the end of the support, lateral beams slidably disposed upon the ends of the main beam and adapted to extend therefrom, a lever hinged upon the support and having connection with the main beam for raising the same, traction wheels carried upon thelateral beams for supporting the main beam, and cutters adjustably disposed upon the outer ends of the lateral beams.

9. A weed-cutter and road-bed scraper including a support, a beam hinged across one end of the support, a lever carried by the support and having connection with the beam to raise the same, laterally extensible beams carried upon the ends of the main beam, supporting wheels disposed upon the lateral beams, and scrapers mounted upon the lateral beams.

10. A weed-cutter including a transverse beam, lateral beams slidably disposed upon the ends of the transverse beam, vertically adjustable standards carried upon the outer ends of the lateral beams, blades adjustable upon the lower ends of the standards, and supporting wheels adjustably mounted upon the lateral beams forwardly of the standards.

11. In a weed-cutter the combination with a rolling support, a transverse beam carried upon the support, lateral beams carried upon the ends of the transverse beam and adapted to extend therefrom, vertically adjustable standards carried upon the outer ends of the lateral beams, blades carried upon the lower ends of the standards, and a ball and socket joint connecting the blades to the standards for adjusting the blades into various angles.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL F. JENKINS. [n s.] Witnesses:

EARL EDMUNDs, F. E. MATTOON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

